Foreign policy

My main responsibility as a deputy member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs are the countries Algeria, Marocco, Tunisia, Syria, Libya and Egypt. I am committed to engage with civil society actors from these countries and I want to take joint action with them against the violation of human rights. Torture, restriction of freedom of the press, oppression of women – there is a lot to do. I am especially concerned about the situation in Syria. Germany must push even harder for a peaceful solution of the conflict. One important step is the criminal prosecution of war crimes.

Together with Omid Nouripour (MP for The Greens) we wrote a guest article for the Daily News Egypt. In our article we argue for a different perspective on the German-Egyptian relations. You can read the full article if you follow this link. weiterlesen

In face of the sentences of three of the leading activists of the 2011 revolution, MP Franziska Brantner states: The sentences of Ahmed Maher, Ahmed Douma and Mohamed Adel reject again all hopes for rule of law and democracy in Egypt. As founding members of the 6 April movement, Ahmed Maher and Mohamed Adel have … weiterlesen

Commenting on the debate on possible responses following the use of chemical weapons near Damascus and the search for possible solutions to the Syria conflict, Green foreign policy co-spokespersons Franziska Brantner and Ulrike Lunacek stated:

“The use of chemical weapons represents a shocking breach of international law that must not go unanswered. While urgent action is now required by the international community, no decision should be made before the findings of the UN expert mission are available.

“Any international response must take place within the multilateral framework. Last night’s meeting of the UN Security Council suggests it will not fulfil its mandate of maintaining world peace, notably due to Russia’s obstructionism. Against this background, the EU should push for the United Nations General Assembly to address the conflict as a matter of urgency. The General Assembly should consider and decide on possible international reactions to the use of chemical weapons, as well as possible ways out of this brutal war, which has already claimed more than 100,000 lives. weiterlesen

Commenting on the regime’s violent clearing of the protestors’ camps and the consequent bloodshed and lethal clashes in the Egyptian streets, Franziska Brantner, foreign affairs spokesperson of the Greens/EFA in the European Parliament, said:

“Despite considerable mediation efforts and repeated warnings by the EU and the US, addressing the current Egyptian regime to refrain from a violent clampdown on the Muslimbrotherhood’s protest camps, the regime cleared the camps by force leading to bloodshed and a deep crisis. Now, the EU must act weiterlesen

Following the meetings of High Representative Ashton in Egypt and amid continued danger of escalation in the streets of Egypt, Franziska Brantner, foreign affairs spokesperson of the Greens/EFA in the European Parliament, said:

“I welcome Ms Ashton’s initiative, which has raised hopes in Egypt. The EU must now maintain the momentum through a series of intensive and prolonged meetings at different levels and with mediation experts. weiterlesen